Kindergarten Outdoor Environment and Its Use in Developing Knowledge of Nature
Abstract
The kindergarten environment should be interesting, full of surprises, secrets, and new discoveries for a child. It is difficult to cognise the environment, so as a geographical space it is divided and studied in parts. In that case, space becomes a place. This means that a child absorbs and cognises it with the help of the teacher. A place for a child is associated with freedom, security, and activity. The child notices the dynamics of the environment. Nature is an important part of the environment. The research design was free and unstructured. The data were collected by visiting kindergarten outdoor educational spaces and during the interviews with educators. Authentic information, individual cases and experiences were analysed. Each outdoor space was used in several ways: 1) as a nature class where the children were introduced to natural objects, 2) as a home which is calm, good to communicate and comfortable to play with others, and 3) as a world full of mysteries and riddles. Depending on the age, children cognise the space differently. The younger ones (0-2 years of age) know the world through movements and five senses. The 2-5-year-olds are predominantly characterised by “magical” thinking and the development of motor skills. The knowledge of the environment and the sense of place occur by getting acquainted with natural objects and exploring them. Logic, empathy, planning skills and attention are developed in children aged 5. The experiences and insights of different educators in different outdoor spaces provide an idea of how educators help a child establish a dialogue with nature.
Keywords
Kindergarten Outdoor Environment, Educational Spaces, Knowledge of Nature, Early Childhood Education.
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